Internal-combustion engine.



H. N. ATWOD L R. F. LONABERGER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPucATloN FILED dcr. 29,'19l5.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

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STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY N. ATWOOD AND ROBERT F. LONABERGER, OF ,READINGg PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNORS T0 ATWOOD AERONAUTIC COMPANY, OF` WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYL- VANIA, ACORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA. i

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed October 29, 1915.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that. we, HARRY N. ATwooD and ROBERT F. LONABERGER, both citizensof- The invention is `fully described in con-` nection with the accompanying `drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and the novel features are specifically pointed out in the subjoined claims.

Figure 1 is mainly, a vertical section, taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, of the head portion of a single engine embodying my improvements; a portion of a like connected engine' being indicated at the'left of the figure. Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view, and Fig. 3 is asimilar view with the head removed; the relative arrangement of the two figures permitting a further showing of the coperative'connection, between adjacent units, asindicated in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical 'section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig.` 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5 5 of Fig. r1. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a sectional elevation and plan view of the detached rotaryvalve. Fig. 8 shows a modification. v f

Our complete invention'provides for employing a series of separate cylinders, connected together and to a common crank shaft, solas to formk a multiple cylinder engine of any desired number @fun-its, all the cylinders being placed in alinement, ortwo series being set atan' angle -y asj in V-type motors. f y

Each unit, as shown,consists of a cylinder 10, having a piston 11 therein connected to the crank shaft 12 by a connecting rodl 13. Each cylinder is secured to a crank shaft casing, not shown,by a flange 14,and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Serial No. 58,536.

is formedwith `a water jacket 15 and provided with a spark plug 16.

The cylinder 10 is 'formed with an end wall 20 having a cylindricall valve-chamber extension 2l provided with a bottom valve seat 22 spaced above said cylinder and connected .to the latter by an' inlet port 23, and exhaust port 24, and a spacing and strengthening rib 25. The water jacket 15 is eX- tended as shown to the cylindrical extension 21, and the space 26 between the valve seat 2 2 and end wall 2O is in direct communication with the annular space between the cylinder 10 and jacket 15, so that theV valve seat is subjected to the cooling influence of the circulating water in the latter. The upper end of the extension 21/is flanged as shown at 27 and provided with ears 28 for connection of a head as yhereinafter described. Y A

Upon the seat 22v is rotatably mounted our improved valve, which is preferably formed as shown of a pair of spring-spread disks having telescoping circular flanges. The bottom disk 30 rests directly upon the valve seat 22 and its circular fiange 31 is fitted to the cylindrical wall of the valve chamber extension 21, and provided at its upper end with a toothed rim forming a driving gear 32 overhanging the extension 21. The upper disk 33 with its circular flange 34 is fitted to telescope into the flange 31. Coil springs 35 set into recesses formed inthe upper and under surfaces of the lower and upper disk respectively, normally spread apart said disks, and pins 36 secured in the lower disk and engaged in holes in the upper disk rotatably unite said disks. Alined openings 37 and 38 in the disks 30 and 33 form a controlling port'in the valve to regulate the opening and closing of the ports 23 and 24 leading to the cylinder 10.

A head 40 secured by bolts 41 to the ears 28 on the flange 27 of the cylindrical eXtension 21 is formed with a depending circular flange 42 fitted within the flangef34 of the upper valve disk 33, and said flanged head has a bottom closure 43 forming an upper seat for the telescoping Valve disks. Inlet port and exhaust port 45 formed in said headare alined with the inlet and exhaust ports 23and 24 from the cylinder 10. A bypass water conduit 46 formed in the head 40 communicates with an opening 47 formed in extension 2l, to connect the annular water space, surrounding the cylinder 10 within the jacket l5, with the hollow space 48 formed in the head 40 above the seat 43. An inlet pipe 49 in thc jacket l5 and an outlet pipe 50 in the head 40 provides for circulating a stream of water around the cylinder l0, over the head 20, under the seat 22 and over the seat 43 as well as around the ports 23 and 24 and 44 and 45 subjecting all these parts, which are exposed to the hea-t of the explosive charge, to the cooling influence of the water.

An oil conduit 5l in the head 40 communicates with a chamber 52 formed in the upper valve seat 43, and the valve disks 30 and 33 are provided with registering oil openings 53-53 communicating with said cham-ber 52 and with radial grooves 54-54 on the seating faces of said valve disks to insure proper lubrication for the rotating valve.

The flange 27 of the extension 2l and the head 40 are flattened, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, at opposite sides, and the latter is formed with bolting ears G0 to secure it to an adjacent cylinder in making up an engine of any desired number of units. The gear 32 formed on the flange 31 of the valve disk 30 is of sufficient diameter to mesh with a similar gear of a connected cylinder; and an end cylinder is provided with a drive gear (31, operatively driven from the crank shaft in any well known manner, to drive the intermeshing train of rotary valves of all the connected cylinder units. The head 40 forms a housing for the gear 32 which housing communicates at the flattened portions with a housing of a connected cylinder; and an oil inlet 62 in the housing 63 of the drive gear 6l permits of forcibly feeding oil to all the gears of the rotating valves, an outlet at the opposite end, not shown, having a return pipe to the pumping means for the force feed.

The single port in the rotary valve disk, formed by the alined openings 37 and 38, passing over the inlet and exhaust openings, formed by the alined ports 23-44 and 24-45 control the latter to properly admit and exhaust the explosive charge to the cylinder. And our 'improved construction permits of directly alining these ports so as to provide straight unhampered passage ways both to and from the cylinder reducing the friction and causing increased efiiciency of the charge. The force feed bath of oil for the driving gears of the valves insures their free rotation, and the radial feed of oil to the rotating valve disks centrifugally carries the oil to all their wearing sur faces insuring adequate lubrication. The spring spread disks of the rotating valve at all times maintain their proper bearing on their seats and automatically take up wear,

while the water circulating around, under and above the valve seats subjects the entire valve to the cooling influence of this circulating medium.

We do not desire to limit ourselves to the specific structure shown, as for instance in IFig. 3 we have indicated a modified form of rotary valve. I-Iere the valve disks 30 and 33'LL are shown as spaced apart, with the circular flange 34a of the disk 33a extended downward, and the controlling port formed by telescoping tubes and 7l provided on the disks 30a and 33ZL respectively.

Other chanllges will suggest themselves within the spirit of the invention which is fully set forth in the claims.

What we claim is:

l. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having an end wall provided with inlet and exhaust ports and a valve seat, a removable head having corresponding inlet and exhaust ports, and a rotary valve comprising a pair of spring-spread parallel disks seating respectively upon said ported end wall and head, said disks having alined port openings and means to maintain said openings in alinement.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having an end wall provided with inlet and exhaust ports and a cylindrical valve-chamber extension, a removable head for the latter having corresponding linlet and exhaust ports, and a rotary valve in said chamber comprising a pair of spring-spread parallel disks seating respectively upon said ported end wall and head, said disks having alined port openings and means to maintain said openings in alinement.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having an end wall provided with inlet and exhaust ports and a cylindrical valve-chamber extension, a removable head for the latter having corresponding inlet and exhaust ports, and a rotary valve in said chamber comprising a pair of spring-spread parallel disks seating respectively upon said ported end wall and head and having telescoping circular-flange extensions, said disks i having alined port openings and means to maintain said openings in alinement.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having an end Wall provided with inlet and exhaust ports and a cylindrical valve-chamber extension, a removable head for the latter having a cylindrical portion depending loosely therein and provided with corresponding inlet and exhaust ports, and

a rotary valve in said chamber comprising a pair of spring-spread disks seating respectively 'upon said ported end wall and head and having telescoping circular flanges fitted respectively to said chamber and said depending head.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having an end wall provided with inlet and exhaust ports and a cylindrical valve-chamber extension, a-removable head for the latter having a cylindrical portion depending loosely therein and provided with corresponding inlet and exhaust ports, a rotary valve in said chamber comprising a pair of spring-spread disks seating respectively upon said ported end Wall and head and having telescoping circular flanges fitted respectively to said chamber and said depending head, and driving teeth formed on one of said circular flanges.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having an end Wall provided With inlet and exhaust ports and an integral cylindrical valvechamber extension spaced above said end ,Wall and having communieating ports, a removable head having corresponding inlet and exhaust ports, a rotary disk valve in said chamber comprising a pair of spring-spread parallel disks seating respectively upon said ported extension and head, and inter-communicating Water-jackets for said cylinder, its valve-chamber extension, and the removable head.

7. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having an end Wall provided With inlet and exhaust ports and an integral cylindrical valve-chamber extension spaced above said end Wall and having communieatin ports, a removable head having correspon ing inlet and exhaust ports, and a lubricator passage-Way, and a rotary valve in said chamber comprising a pair of springspread parallel disks seating respectively upon said ported extension and head; the seating faces of said disks being provided With radial grooves communicating with said passage-Way.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having an end Wall provided with inlet and exhaust ports, an integrally formed cylindrical valve chamber extension spaced above said Wall and having communicating ports, and a Water-jacket inclosing said extension; a removable head for the latter having a cylindrical portion depending loosely therein provided With corresponding inlet and exhaust ports and formed With an annular drive-Wheel chamber and a Water jacket therefor; and a rotary disk valve in said chamber comprising a pair of springspread disks seating respectively upon said ported extension and head and having telescoping circular flanges fitted respectively to said chamber and head, driving teeth on one of said circular flanges extending into said drive-Wheel chamber; said head being cooperatively secured to said valve-chamber extension and cylinder jacketing and having alined side openings to the drive-Wheel chamber thereof adapted for communicating connection to a like adjoining head.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

HARRY N. ATWOOD. ROBERT F. LONABERGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

